Sleep medicine diagnostics facilities must now be accredited for Alberta docs to refer patients

Alberta physicians must now only refer patients for sleep tests to facilities accredited by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA). The new regulations came into effect on Jan. 1, 2022. The CPSA has a list of accredited facilities offering sleep medicine diagnostic services. There are more than 100 facilities either accredited or in the process of gaining accreditation, according to the college, with about 125 to 175 sleep medicine diagnostic facilities within Alberta. These facilities have had several years to become accredited by the CPSA. In 2018, the college established accreditation standards for sleep medicine diagnostic services, since accreditation is a requirement of the provinces’ Health Professions Act. “Those facilities that are now accredited welcome the firm deadline, recognizing the work they have put into the process of becoming accredited,” a spokesperson for the college said. “CPSA has not had any negative feedback to date.” To maintain accreditation, these facilities must pay yearly fees. Read: Sleep disorders: the civilization that no longer sleeps In Alberta, there are CPAP clinics offering sleep apnea testing, including home-based sleep apnea testing. In the past, some CPAP clinics did not provide appropriate patient care and had no physician on staff, according to CBC news. “Sleep apnea is a medical disorder and needs a medical diagnosis,” said Dr. Charles Samuels, medical director of the Centre for Sleep and Human Performance in Calgary. Dr. Samuels is a member of the CPSA’s advisory committee on sleep medicine diagnostics. By requiring physicians to only refer patients to accredited facilities, patients will receive better care. “It is entirely based on patient safety,” Dr. Samuels said. The CPSA’s advisory committee on sleep medicine diagnostics includes representatives from respiratory therapist and dentistry regulatory bodies. CPAP clinics are sometimes run by respiratory therapists, and dentists can provide dental appliances to people with sleep apnea if there is a medical diagnosis of sleep apnea. In 2019, more than 25 physicians received fake letters that appeared to be from the CPSA. The letters accused the physicians of taking kickbacks when referring patients to certain sleep medicine diagnostic clinics. The letters referred to the accreditation program. Read: Fake letters sent to Alberta doctors about kickbacks for sleep clinic referrals “With respect to the letters in 2019, once CPSA informed all physicians in Alberta that these letters were fraudulent, we had no additional reports of such letters being received,” a CPSA spokesperson confirmed.

Sleep medicine diagnostics facilities must now be accredited for Alberta docs to refer patients

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